Dordanup Wardandi women have facilitated events and celebrations on Country since time began. During a winter solstice healing ceremony in 2022 at Ellenbrook, WA, supporters, artists, musicians and long-time friends of Matriarch Vivian Brockman-Webb and Cultural Custodian Mitchella Hutchins from across the Noongar Nation, came together. They co-created a teardrop land-art installation and played music together.
As the group played From Little Things Big Things Grow, an idea was raised to reform the Nala Boodja Eco Clan Aboriginal Corporation (Nala Boodja). The corporation would bring people together going forwards – to share songlines, facilitate storytelling and create wellbeing programs.
The formal re-registration of Nala Boodja was a way to make it happen. Vivian and Mitchella’s focus was firmly on their upcoming trip to Paris to perform at the United Nations Decade of Indigenous Languages in November 2022. While fundraising for their trip, they gathered around the campfire with Dianna (Di) Gee, Richard Nelly and Naomi Anderson and wrote a new song, Djanga Koornt (spirit of the heart).
Mitchella Hutchins (centre) and her mother Vivian Brockman/Webb (second from right) led the opening of the decade of Indigenous languages in Paris in December 2022.
Changing the tune
With the wishes of matriarch Vivian Brockman-Webb and cultural custodian Mitchella Hutchins leading the revival, a new group of experienced directors applied to reinstate Nala Boodja. It relaunched in 2023 with a core mission – to facilitate activities that promote cultural awareness and wellbeing for communities of and visitors to the Dordanup Wardandi lands (south-west of WA).
The Djanga Koornt (spirit of the heart) song project was the first successful endeavour of the group. The concept of a call-and-response song was workshopped with community for truth-telling and healing. It became a community-led project that developed into a recorded track, about to be launched internationally.
‘Mitchella wrote the first lyrics of the sorrow and pain of the past and the need to walk together as one for the future, to heal,’ explains corporation director Di Gee. Yamatji Elder and director Richard Nelly wrote the music. The Nannup Shire came on board offering a community grant to support the project and requested hip hop artists Optamus and Flewnt to come to the Nannup Family Funday in January 2023.
Top left: Flewnt (Josh Eggington); top right: Optamus (Scott Griffiths); Bottom (from left): Mitchella Hutchins, Dianna Gee and Richard Nelly
Following the creative exercise, a select group of community musicians learned and performed the chorus at the Nannup Music Festival in a workshop. The Nala Boodja music group invited the community to suggest verses with a healing response. The group jammed it on the spot and experienced a genuine community effort involving all generations and many cultures.
‘It was a community song. Each person went through a healing journey through the song, and the community members who contributed developed a deeper understanding of culture and each other in the process,’ says Di.
The song took on a new dimension in collaboration with the Margaret River World Choir. The group was honoured to be invited to open 2023 NAIDOC week at the Margaret River Heart, known as ‘Nala Bardip Mia – Our Story House’. It was a very supportive audience, with a sellout crowd of 450 people.
The Sacred Women's Choir (from left): Asling, Claudia, Marion, Sharna, Solei, Kim, Maria (choir leader), Melinda, Marion, Georgia and Mitchella. In front are sisters Skyler (left) and Sierra
‘The children wrote some powerful lyrics. Each sang or spoke the words they wrote for the performances and video clips that formed a backdrop for the live show. The feeling on stage and the support from the audience was truly touching. We are so blessed to have such a wise and caring children involved in our project; our future is in their kind and caring hands,’ says Di.
Reinstating the corporation
The Djanga Koornt song project went from an idea for a simple song to a healing project. It evolved into a revival for the corporation responding to the community's passion for cultural connection, communal healing, education and avenues to express Indigenous identity. Needing financial support, the re-registration enabled funding to be given by shires in the area. Dordanup Wardandi lands encompass WA’s Busselton Shire, Nannup Shire, and Augusta Margaret River Shire and include many smaller towns and significant sites.
The music project’s first funding came from the Nannup Shire, the Nannup Music Club, Regional Arts WA and the Augusta Margaret River Shire. With their support, all activities could be free offerings to the communities of the area’s small towns.
The influence of Djanga Koornt (Healing Song)
Following Djanga Koornt’s success the board has kept momentum going, revisiting matriarch Vivian’s vision to create a culturally safe space to teach people about Country and encourage conversations and language sharing. Nala Boodja’s focused on seeing the intentions of the United Nations Decade of Indigenous Languages generate positive outcomes in the region. Together, the community wants to use the power of song and stories in language to deliver healing and truth-telling messages for generations to come. First Nations organisations around Australia will be offered the first song and video to share with their networks to promote music and heart-centred healing as a pathway to cultural understanding and positive action.
Vivian says, ‘It’s incredible to see how these wonderful people have come together to bring my long-held vision of using culture to share the passion for protecting Country and language and each other and sending this message across the globe.’
Nala Boodja’s Board wishes to invite collaborations and financial support to help achieve their visions of caring for Country, community and culture. If you share their song, tag or send them a message on Facebook to let them know!